Peaceful Chile

This winter i’ve committed to trying new wines at the LCBO and i think i’ve found the best aisle in the store – Argentina to the right of me and Chile to the left. I’m no historian but it seems like these countries even get along. They coexistence peacefully in the wine store at least.

Right now my new favourite wine for under $10 is the Santa Rita 120 Cab Franc / Carmenere / Cab Sav blend. I like the fresh Cabernet Franc taste and i love the price.

 

Hey, turns out that “120” refers to 120 Chilean freedom fighters who took on the Spanish Independence  war of 1814 and hid in the Santa Rita cellars. Doesn’t sound very peaceful anymore.

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El Niño – a hot, dry summer

I am currently looking for summer. I read a funny comic last week that said “The first person to complain about how hot is is this summer gets a punch in the throat”. People get a little emotional waiting this long for summer.

I started looking for summer in the Spanish aisle of the LCBO.

My brother-in-Spain says that a good Spanish Rioja tastes like a hot, dry summer. When we opened this one I got a little emotional.  Maybe I miss my brother? Maybe it’s the absurdly cruel long winter that really got me? Maybe I got a piece of cork in my contact? Whatever it was, I did get a little teary at how much this wine reminded me of a hot, dry Spanish summer.

CAMPO VIEJO RIOJA TEMPRANILLO
LCBO 342006 |Price $ 14.40 

Dark plum and cherry fruits with a dryness that persisted on my palate [evoking the emotional response I referred to earlier]

 

Taste Memory

My two strongest memories from this summer’s Spanish vacation are of the delicious red wine we drank and the 15 dogs that barked me awake at 3:30 each morning. Perros estúpidos!

Taste memories are strong. So this week I’ve been blocking the dog/sleep thing by focusing on the red wine.  Problem is that there is no Mercadoña or Carrefour to visit where I can buy Rioja for 2 €. Sad, but I am up for the LCBO challenge of finding a great inexpensive wine from Spain.

After trying 3 “good looking” red wines the winner was clear. Beronia is a dry, hot summer in your mouth (in a good way). It just became this year’s house wine in Casa Oke.

BERONIA TEMPRANILLO RIOJA
LCBO 243055 | Price: $ 11.25